Helen Barbara Kruger
Encyclopedia
Helen Barbara Kruger also known as Bobbie Nudie, was born in Mankato, Minnesota
.
She met her future husband Nudie Cohn
at her parent's boarding house. He had done time in Leavenworth
for trafficking in drugs, but they fell in love and moved to New York City
.
They returned to Mankato to get married, then opened a business called Nudie's for the Ladies in Manhattan in 1934, which sold g-strings and lingerie to showgirls. It was around this time that Helen and Nudie had their only child, Barbara Cohn.
Later, in Hollywood, her husband Nudie Cohn made many outrageous, rhinestone-studded, costumes for such luminaries as Tex Williams
, Hank Williams Sr, Cher
, Elton John
, Buck Owens
, Clint Eastwood
, John Lennon
, Gene Autry
, Roy Rogers
and Dale Evans
. Among their most famous creations was a $10,000 gold lame suit for Elvis Presley
, designed and created by Nudie. Helen or "Bobbie" as she was more famously known, was considered to do merchandising and sales at Nudies.
Nudie Cohn died in 1984. Bobbie, her sister Edith, daughter Barbara and granddaughter carried on after this until the Nudie's store was finally closed in 1994.
Helen "Bobbie Nudie" Cohn died in Valencia, California
, aged 92.
Mankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
.
She met her future husband Nudie Cohn
Nudie Cohn
Nudie Cohn was a Russian-born American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits, known popularly as "Nudie Suits", and other elaborate outfits for some of the most famous celebrities of his era. He also became famous for his outrageous customized automobiles.-Early life:Cohn was...
at her parent's boarding house. He had done time in Leavenworth
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
for trafficking in drugs, but they fell in love and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
They returned to Mankato to get married, then opened a business called Nudie's for the Ladies in Manhattan in 1934, which sold g-strings and lingerie to showgirls. It was around this time that Helen and Nudie had their only child, Barbara Cohn.
Later, in Hollywood, her husband Nudie Cohn made many outrageous, rhinestone-studded, costumes for such luminaries as Tex Williams
Tex Williams
Sollie Paul Williams , known professionally as Tex Williams, was an American Western swing musician from Ramsey, Illinois....
, Hank Williams Sr, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and Dale Evans
Dale Evans
Dale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
. Among their most famous creations was a $10,000 gold lame suit for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, designed and created by Nudie. Helen or "Bobbie" as she was more famously known, was considered to do merchandising and sales at Nudies.
Nudie Cohn died in 1984. Bobbie, her sister Edith, daughter Barbara and granddaughter carried on after this until the Nudie's store was finally closed in 1994.
Helen "Bobbie Nudie" Cohn died in Valencia, California
Valencia, California
Valencia is an affluent planned community located in the City of Santa Clarita, California and Los Angeles County, California, U.S. in the northwestern corner of the Santa Clarita Valley, adjacent to Interstate 5. In 1987, it was one of the four unincorporated communities that merged to create the...
, aged 92.